Samuel i



@uitrit gisten @anni @frn manovra .SDEWALKs fitte Sr'imnnrtiarthiu in time @lettera 'prima mit lurking Vaan tfy hasta.

To ALL WHOM 'Ir-MAYCONGERN:

:Be it known that I, SAMEL =I .RtISs`EnVL, of thecty of Chicago, in county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented -certainfnevi'f and 4useful Improvements 'in Sidewalks; and Ido'hereby declare .that the followingl is a full, clear, and exact, description thereof, reference beihg had tothe accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, 'in which-'- Figure 1 represents a plan ortop view .of three varietiesi'of foundation or substructure, marked A, B, and AD,and I i Figure 2 a cross-section of the same as completed.

Like'lettersrefer to the same-partsin all of the figures.-

. The nature of my invention consists in constructing sidewalks and 'other 'walksand ways with a. wooden foundation or substructure, constituting 'the principal portionfof the walk or way; -in anchoringv thoconcrete, mastic, asphaltum,or other substance used, to such prepared foundation, and in so combining the wood and the yconcrete thatthecompleted walk or way will have the strength of Wood and the durability of asphaltum, and' be completely water-proof.

'Wooden sidewalks have long been used-,but they are objectionable, for the reasons that they are not durable,'and are water-proof onlyl when constructed with great'care and expense and kept in'perfect repair.

Sidewalks constructed entirely of concrete, or of prepared coal-'tar or asphaltum, have also been used, but they are liable to crack', and are not of 'suicient strength to be used where-the sidewalk'is vaulted or the' earth beneath them excavated. I

My invention aims to combine-the good qualities of both kinds without their defects.A

To enableV others skilled in the art to make my improved sidewalk, will describe.its.construction.

( )'n preparing the-foundation, as'shown at A, gs. land v2, I use juist, scantling,'plank, or boards of any suitable thicknessfor `the required strength, and' join" them together, by .tongueing and grooving, or otherwise,-

so as to make them suilciently strong for handling. t

I make'the'wlks in sections, each section' being in length the same as the' completed walk is in width, and

in width from two to'four.feet,more or less,asmay be desired..v I place a frame around the section thus prepared, which projects above s'uciently to holdthe composition. TheA composition is heated and poured on, yso as to fillI the frame,f\'vhen it is sprinkled with ine gravel or-coarse sand, and rolled or pressed, so as to'form an eren suri'ace.. When cooled, the'frame is removed, and the section is rea/dy for laying in place. When the.`

sections are laid, the s'eams 'or'.joints :fre filled withthe same composition, so as to make the walk water-tight. The composition int-hisform of foundation is anchored or fastened tov it by means of bevelled slats a, inserted so as to .form dore-tailedfgrooves, or inclined slats orrstrips b, nailed to the planks or formed onlthemior grooves may be formed in any other suitable manner. Even nails'will do, if a'suiicient numbermarc" used, but Al' consider them too'expensive; and it will be found advisable to gire the planks a thorough coating of tar before applying the composition..

-The foundation may be prepared invarious forms. As shown at B, I use joist or scantling of any desired size; which may be placed some-distance apart and bridged, as shown by C.v This foundation will be prepared in sectionsfas before described, and the intcrsticesmay heilled with broken stone, coarse gravel, or other coarse material, andthe .composition then applied, as before described.

At another form lof foundation isshown,l inwhich I use two tiers of scantling or other suitable pieces of wood, the `upper tier being placed transverselyto the longitudinal tier EL These several pieces are placed some distance apart, and the interstices filled withbroken stone, after which the composition is applied,

` The last'form is adapted to walks which are to be laid on the gronn'dythe other forms to those to be laid over'excavatedplaces. v l v V When the walk is to be 'usefd on 'the ground, the foundation may be preparedwhollyor in' part with limbs and branches of tree s,:or withbrush, and`othersiniilar material loflittle value. i

. rinse lhe joints -or rplank or scantling may be secured, when used, as shown at ,B and D Gr, fastening a plank to the ends, and their upper edges may be bevclledor grooved. When plank or boards are secured to the joist or scantling, holes may be borcd in the plank or boards, into which the composition will run and be'securely anchored to the foundation. In the form `shown at D, boards of any desired width may be used, which maybe --nailed together or not.A

Before pouring inthe. composition, the foundation may be raised a trifle above. the platform or other place on which it isplacld'fpr lling. The composition ,will then eover'the bottom of the foundation, and every part of the wood will be perfectly covered andirendered as indestructible as the composition.

The frames placed around the sections before pouringin the composition should be washed with a clay solution, or'some other suitable material, to prevent the adhesionof the composition to the'trame. A composi tion of coal-,tar and dry sand or clay and small. gravel may be used, the,v same being thoroughly mined w-hile boiling, and being boiled till most of the volatile matter is driven off; or any other suitablc'eomposition can be used with my foundation.V l If escaping gases tend to form bunches after lthe composition 4has, been poured, boards and weightsrcan be laid thereon while'itis cooling. r v

It will b e obviousV that frequently the foundation or {illing can be laid in place, and there filled and covered with the composition, instead of being laid in sections previousljcomplted', nlthough'I prefer constructing it.

in sections, as described.

My invention may beappliedf to numerous other uses, such as iloors, cellar, and cistern-linings, covering bridges, coping `for brick walls, troughs, roadways, 8vo.

Having thus fully described-my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to sccurc'by Letters Patent, is--td '1. lhe construction'and arrangement of sidewalks or other ways with framework or supports of combined with and covered by. a surface-coating composed of coal-tar, andV groovcd, substantially as specified.

, 2. The construction and arrangement of the walk in sectionsysubstantially as described.

l S.' RUSSELL.

Witnesses u L'. BOND, E.l A.- WEST. 

